


Metronome

by fansofcollisions



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Ficlet, Gen, Sleep Apnea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-09-26
Packaged: 2017-12-27 16:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fansofcollisions/pseuds/fansofcollisions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Dean stops breathing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Metronome

**Author's Note:**

> Set mid-season 7.

Sometimes, Dean stops breathing.

Sam only started to notice since everything went down with Cas, since alcohol became Dean’s bedtime snack and pills his chaser. Dean passes out and Sam lies in his own bed, counting.

_One, two three, four, five, six-_

He makes it to twenty five before… silence. Eight beats of it. Then a hitch, a gasp and Sam begins counting again.

The first time Sam shook Dean awake, certain he was trapped in some nightmare. It took a bit to rouse him but when he did, Sam got the verbal wailing of his life for waking Dean up from the best sleep he’d had in months.

Not nightmares then.

Ten beats of silence this time.

Dean starts to notice his fatigue eventually, of course. Even tries to push some of the pills on him.  _They’ll help, Sam. Get you out of your head for a bit_. _You’re exhausted._  Sam doesn’t want out of his head. He just wants to be sure than when he wakes up, his brother will still be drawing breath.

Google tells him  _sleep apnea_. Instinct tells him Dean’s body knows he doesn’t want to live to see the sunrise and is trying to help him along the way.

Seven to ten hours. That’s how long Dean’s drug and alcohol cocktails knock him out for. Every night, Sam sets an alarm for six and a half and, as soon as he’s sure his brother is asleep, he retreats to the bathroom, a book by his side for insurance, for an excuse if asked.

Sure, the bathtubs are always too short and wadded up towels don’t cushion porcelain well, but at least he can sleep a little in here.

If he can’t hear Dean’s breathing, he can’t hear it stop. He doesn’t have to wonder if this time it’s for good.


End file.
